Producer of inert gases.



. VON EIGKEN.

PRODUCER 0F- INBRT GASES.

APPLIOATION FILED Dnc. 5, 1911.

UNITED sTnTEs PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN VON EICKEN, 0F FRIEDENAU, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

PRODUCER or INERT GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i I lat-cnted July 1 1913.

Application filed December 5, 1911. Serial No. 663,990.

place of use, in the presence and with the.

aid of inert or non-oxidizable gases. VVVhrile pure carbonio acid and pure nitrogen are suitable for this purpose, the exhaust gases of ordinary internal combustion engines offer the advantage of much greater cheapness, and have been preferred for this reason. Certain difficulties, however` occur in connection with the use of such exhaust gases, particularly in view of the fact that in the event of a mislire the gases expelled by the piston contain a relatively high percentage of oxygen, and if several misfires follow each other, the percentage of oxygen in the mixture of exhaust gases stored in a suitable tank may become so high as to render the mixture explosive.

My present invention has for its object to overcome this diiiiculty and to provide an efficient apparatus for producing an inert gas that will never contain a dangerous percentage of oxygen. This I secure by a novel valve arrangement fully set forth hereinafter. Y

In .the accompanying drawings I have shown how a two-cylinder explosive engine may be converted into a single-cylinder engine provided with my improvements, but I desire it to be understood that this isan example only and that the improvements may be applied in various other ways without departing from the natureoof/my invention as set forth in the appended-claims.

4Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of the engine andl associ-ated'apparatus;v Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sections takenrespeetively on lines '50 2-2, 3-3, and 4 4, of Fig. 1.

The cylinders 1, 2 of equal size .and arranged side by side,cont`ain the reciprocating pistons 3, 4 respectively provided with connectingrods 5, 6. respectively leadingto corresponding opposed cranks onthc engine shaft 7, so that the two pistons 3, 4 move in opposite directions. 0n one end ofthe shaft 7 which is arranged in al chamber 3 connected to the cylinders l, 2, is secured a fly-wheel 9, preferably of a mass sufficient to continue .the rotation in the case of a single misire,

but not sufficient to keep the apparatus in motion if there should be two successive misfires. 0n4 the other end of the shaft is mounted a pinion 1Q in mesh with wheels 11 and 12 mounted to turn with shafts .13 and 14 respectively, the wheels 11 and 12 being twice the size of the pinion 10 and therefore performing one revolution for every tworevolutions of said pinion.

The working cylinder 1 receives the explosive mixture from a pipe 1, the connection being controlled by a spring-pressed in-` let valve 15, opened periodically by the action of a lever 16 operated by a cam 17 on' the shaft 14. The piston 3 is operated according to the customary four-cycle system. The exhaust valve 18 of the engine cylinder 1 is operated in a mannersimilar to the valve 15 by a lever 16a governed by a cam- 13a on the cam shaft 13. The explosive mixture is ignited by the spark plug 19. The exhaust gases pass into a conduit 2O leading to a cooler 21 of any well known or approved character, and then the gases, contracted in volume by the cooling action, travely through a pipe 22 to a purifier 23`and then throughv a conduit 24 to the compressor cylinder 2, the connection being controlled by 'the valve 25 governed by the lever 16b actuated by the cam shaft 13. In the original use of this engine, the valve 25 controlled the exhaust from the cylinder 2, openingat every fourth stroke of vthe piston 4, but as modified or converted for the purposes of my invention, the cylinder2 is no longer an engine cylinder, but a compressor cylinder, and the shaft 13 has two diametrically opposite ca ms 13b for actuating the lever 16", so that the valve 25 will be opened at every down-stroke of the piston 4. The valve 26, which originally served as an inlet valve forlthe explosive mixture (when the engine was operated as a two-cylinder engine) is rendered' inactive by means of a nut 27, and the corresponding inlet connection 2a isclosed by a cover 28. Y

In the head of the cylinder 2 is located a compressor outlet controlled by a valve 29 having `a v'alve plate 30 and a stem. 31 connected with apiston 33 arranged to slide in a guide or housing 32. A. cap 34 provided with a through opening leading to theouter air,

is screwed upon the upper end of the housing 32, and a coiled spring 36 is'interposed between this cap and the upper surface of the pist-on 33, thus pressing the valve plate 30, against its seat with a force which can be regulated by screwing the cap 34 up 01;. down. The upper surface of the valve plate 30 has the same area as the lower surface of the piston 33, thus producing a balanced action with resulting advantages' set forth hereinafter. The gases entering the compressor cylinder 2 through the connectionv 24 and valve 25 are expelled through the valve 30 into the conduit 37 and into a collector or storage receptacle 38, at each up-I stroke of the piston 4, provided they have been brought to\a pressure exceeding that exerted by the spring 36. The receptacle 38 through 41 to the'jacket 42 which is common to the engine cylinder 1 and the compressoncylinder 2, and leaving the" jacket through the pipe 43 (Figs. 1 and 4).

The operation' of the device is as follows:

-At everyfourth stroke of the power piston Inasmuc 3, the valve 18 opens and allows the exhaust gases to pass into the conduit 20, cooler 21,' pipe 22, purifier 23 and conduit 24 to the valve 25 which is open at the same time.

h as the exhaust stroke of the pist'on 3 is simultaneous with a suction stroke of the, compressor piston 4, the gases are drawn into the cylinder 2. 'Then-follows the suction stroke ofthe power p iston3, at

the same time with' a compression stroke of the piston l4.' The valve 25 is.c`losed, and the valve 29 opensto let the compressed gases pass through the conduit 37'to the receptacle 38, provided the pressure of the gases is sufficient 'to overcome the resistanceof the spring 36. Then follows the compression strokc of the power piston- 3, simultaneous with another suction stroke of the compressor piston 4,- during which, the valve 18'being closed and the valve 25 open, the piston 4 draws a further supply of exhaust gases from the amount left in the conduit 20, cooler 21, pipe 22, purifier 23 and conduit 24. Then follows the explosion or working stroke of the power piston 3,

simultaneous with. another delivery stroke of the compressor 'piston 4, the'valve 29 rshould -occur in succession.

opening as described above. Since the o-pposing surfaces of the valve plate 30 and of the piston 33,. which surfaces are exposed to the pressure existing in the delivery pipe 37, are of equal area, it follows that the valve is balanced, that is to say, the pressure in pipe 37 and receptacle 38 has no tendency either to seat or to unseat the valve plate 3 0. The only force (aside from gravity) tending to seat the valve plate 30 is t-he pressure of the spring 36, and this is constant as long as the tension of the spring is unaltered, or in other words, as long as the cap 34 remains in the same position. From this arrangement it results that the compressor piston 4 has to perform the same amount of Work at each compression stroke, that is, it will compress the exhaust gases to a pressure just suiiicient to overcome the action of the spring 36. In View of this constant or even work, the operation of the entire machine becomes exceedingly eiiicient. In case of a misire in the cylinder 1, the unconsumed exhaust gases wou-ld co-ntain a relatively high percentage of oxygen, and if two misfres occurred in succession, the gases delivered to the conduit 37 and re-A ceptacle l38 might contain such a percentage of oxygen as to be liable to form an explosive mixture with the vapors ofthe inlam' mable liquid (such as gasolene), which said gases are intended to protect. To avoid this danger, the iiywheel 9 is made only large enough to keep the machine in motion in the event of a singlemistire, but not large enough to keep it` going if two 'misfires The resistancel caused by the compression strokes qof the power piston 3,- and of the comp essor piston 4 would in this latter c cause the engine to stop, andthus prevent the dejlivery, to the receptacle 38, of gases containing a vdangerous percentage of oxygen. I f, as it will occur in practice, the pressure in the collector or receptacle 38 is not con-V stant, but fluctuates say from atmospheric pressure to 'a pressure of several atmospheres, then, of course', the work to be performed by the compressor piston 4 will also vary, since it depends on this pressure. -It may thus happen that the pressure within the receptacle 38 will for a relatively conwhich 'has been assumed as a basis for calculating the flywheel 9. In such a case of an abnormally low" pressure| 1n the recepf Vtacle 38, the energyr stored in theflywhe'el may be suiiicient to keep the machine' in mel tion even in the A event of two successive-- danger of delivering to the receptacle 38 siderable time be lower than the pressure a greater amount of unconsumedagases and therefore a greater amount't'of oxygeiithan l intended. .This danger, -`however, is 'overcome by the automatic `a'ction'o f the'fbal:

anced delivery valve 29, which allows gases to pass out of the compresso-r cylinder 2 only when they exceed slightly the pressure corresponding to the tension of the spring 36. Therefore, if this definite and constant pressure` be used as the basis for calculating the flywheel 9, the intended operation will be obtained With certainty, that is to say, the work performed by the pist-ons 3 and 4 during their compression strokes will stop the engine in the event of two successive misfires, while in thel case of a single mistire thel energy stored in the flywheel will be sulicient to carry the machine to the next explosion or power stroke.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, ot a compressor, a connection for leading the exhaust gases of the engineto vsaid compressor, a delivery conduit, a valve controlling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to said conduit, a piston held to move in'unison with said valve and having a :tace ex posed to the gases contained in the delivery conduit to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, and means for pressing the valve toward its seat.

2. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, a connection for leading the exhaust gases lof the engine to said compressor, a delivery conduit, a valve controlling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to said conduit., means connected with said valve to move therewith and exposed to the pressure of the gases contained in the delivery conduit to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, and means for pressing the valve toward its seat.

3. The combination, with an'internal conlbustion engine, of a compressor, a connection for leading thek exhaustgases of the engine to said compressor, a. delivery conduit, a valve cont-rolling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to said conduit, means connected with said valve to move therewith and exposed to the pressure'of the gases contained in the delivery condu'it to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, means for pressing the valve toward its seat,and

` a device for adjusting thepower of the lastnamed means.

4. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, a connect-ion for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a delivery conduit, avalve controlling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to Said conduit, a piston held to move in unison with saidvalve and having a face exposed' to the gases contained in the delivery con.- duit to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, the other face ofA the piston being exposed to atmospheric pressure` and means for pressing the valve toward its seat.

5. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, la connection for leading tli'e'exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a delivery conduit, a valve controlling the passage of the compressed gases `from the compressor to said conduit, a piston held to move in unison with said valve. and having a face exposed to the' gases contained in the delivery conduit to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, and a spring engaging the other face of the piston to press the valve toward its seat.

6. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, a connection for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a delivery conduit, a valve controlling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to said conduit, a piston held to` move in unison with said valve and having a face ex* posed to the gases contained in the delivery conduit to counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the va' ve, a spring engaging the other face of the` piston to press the valve toward its seat, and an adjustable cap engagingthe said spring and adapted to vary itstension.

7. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, a connection for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a delivery conduit, a valve controlling the passage of the compressed gases from the compressor to said conduit, a piston held to move in unison with said valve and having a face exposed to the gases contained in the delivery conduitto counteract the pressure exerted by said gases on the valve, a spring engaging the other face of the piston to press the valve toward its seat, and an adjustable cap engaging the said spring and adapted to vary its tension, said cap being apert-ured to expose the outer face of the piston to atmospheric pressure. i

8. The combination, with an internal combustion engine having a piston operated according to the four-cycle system, and a valve lcontrolling the escape of" the exhaust gases, of a compressor having alternate compression and suction strokes, a connection for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a valve controlling said connection, and means for opening said valve at each alternate stroke, while the exhaust valve of the engine is opened onlyT at every fourth stroke.

9. The combination, with an internal combustion engine having a piston operated according to the four-cycle system, and a valve controlling the escape of the exhaust gases, of a compressor having alternate cour pression and suction strokes, a connection for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a valve controlling said connection, and a shaft provided With cams for operating the exhaust valve 'of the engine and the inlet valve of the compressor respectively, there being twice as manyA cams 'I to govern (said inlet valve as to govern said exhaust valve. y I

10. The combination, with an internal combustion engine, of a compressor, a con. nection for leading the exhaust gases of the engine to said compressor, a delivery con- .du1t, aspring-pressed valve controlling the for neutralizing the duit, on the said valve, so that the operation of the valve will not be aected by fluctuations of the pressure in said conduit.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presencev of two subscribing witnesses.

. HERMANN voN EICKEN.

Witnesses: y

WOLDEMAR HAUPT', HENRY Jl-IASPER'. 

